Aeroplane construction



TI D. CARNEAL. AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLlcAnoN FILED MAT/19,' 1919.

1,355,088. Patented Oct, 5,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

FIG. l.

T. D. CARNEAL.

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION. FILED MAY I9, I9I9.

1,355,088. Patented Get. 5, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS THOMAS D. CARNEAL, OF HIGHLAND SCHOCL DISTRICT, CALIFORNIA..

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented oet. 5,1920.

Application' inea May 19, 1919. serial No. 298,014.

To all whom t 'may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS D. CARNEAL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Highland School-District, inthe county of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented newand useful Improvements in Aeroplane Construction, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in aircraft construction andparticularly pertains to means for producing a soaring action.

It is a matter of common knowledge that large birds cause their courseto be changed to an upwardly direction without the stroke of theirwings, the action being produced by a certain peculiar transfer ofweight or center of gravity and accompanied by slight change indirection to the right and left as the soaring action takes, place. Itis the principal object of the presen invention to provide a deviceadapted to be mounted upon various types of aircraft and which willinsure that a soaring action will take place without changing therelative position of the wings or the elevating planes. A careful studyof the flying maneuvers of large birds has led the inventor to believethat a soaring action is produced by transfer-ring the center of gravityand thus throwing an excessive weight upon one wing Y by very rapidaction, after. which the center of gravity is restored to its normalposition and may thereafter be thrown quickly to the opposite side.

It is assumed that this action will be analogous-to the action producedin rowing a boat as the weight would be alternately would tend toelevate the boat or the body of the aircraft, due to the fact4 that theaction would be so sudden as to compress the lifting the body of theaircraft and accelerating its speed Vas the center of gravity isviolently changed. VWith this general idea in view the present inventionhas been particularly concerned with means of and a method by which aweight could be rapidly shifted to either side of the center of gravityin the machine'and would, in so moving vcause the aircraft to have asoaring action.

The present invention contemplates the use of a cylinder mounted withina body or upon the frame of an aircraft and standing transverselythereon and in parallel alinement with the wings of the craft. Po-

sitioned within the cylinder is a slidable piston adapted to be operatedby compressed. air or any other such medium to move it from one end tothe other of the cylinder and to thereby dispose a weight upon theopposite side to the center of gravity of the craft yand cause thesoaring action to take place.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings in which; n f n Figure 1 isa View in side elevation showing thepresent invention as applied to a heavier than airmachine, and withparts broken away to more clearly disclose the location of the device.

y Fig. 2 is a view drawn upon a. reduced scale and showmgthe position ofthe Vpresent invention as seen 1n plans.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in vertical. secto disclose the presentvinvention and the valve mechanisml by which it is controlled..

and 16 extend outwardly from the opposite side of the fuselage andinsuperim-posed relation to each other as indicated` in Flg` k1. At therearof the body portionv of the l machine is a horizontal stabilizery17. This member is supplemented by an elevator 18 i by which the courseof travelof the airplaced upon the opposite wing tip andv craft isusually determined. From the foregoing description it will be understoodthat -an .aeroplane of common construction l is used and that thepresent linvention is not air beneath the tip to which the weight wasapplied and thus act as a fulcrum point'in l lighter than air types, butwith av device by which the aircraft mayV be caused to soar. j

i tion and elevation, with parts broken away 7 Reference being hadtoFig. 3, it will be -seen that an elongated cylinder 19 is provided andis disposed in a horizontal position.k The position of this cylinderwithin the aircraft isV particularly illustrated in dotted lines asyshown in Fig. 2, whereitwill f be seen to be directly between the Wingsand as nearly as possible in the transverse and longitudinal center ofgravity of the machine, with its ends extending outwardly,

equal distances from each side of thelon-gitudinal center of. thefuselage. rlhis cylin- Yder is ofV a singleV continuous bore and is`adapted to accommodate a reciprocating pis-f ton member 20.V Pistonmember 2O is in-.. tendedjto ybe oi .considerable weightand is` Ydesigned to be shifted to either side of the cylinder and thus to eitherside of the longitudinal axis of the aircraft, whichdisplacement willchange the center oi gravity and .will produce the results desired. Thevmovement of the piston20 is produced by coin- V with openings towhichpipes 27andV 28 are connected.V The pipe 28 is in longitudinal alinementwith the pipe`23 and leads downwardly to a piston valvecage 29. This.cage is bolted upon the upper portion of the cylinder 19 and'directlyover the center thereof.l In the centerof the cage is a main airv Y Ychamber 30 which is U-shaped insection and has its two legs in registerwith sepaf rate ports 31 and 32. Thev'port 31is con- Y nected by pipe 33.to an inlet Vpassageway 34 'Y in the head 35 of thecylindei VTheopposite port 32 is connected apipe l36 to the head 37V of the cylinder.A return pipe 38 connects the cylinder head 35with Vthe end of the valvecage 29 yand a return pipe 39 connects Ythe Acylinder head 37 with theopposite en d of the valve cage29. The main portion of the pipes 38 .and39 are in longitudinal alinement:and'communicate with the opposite endsof a cylindrical piston bore 40 formed llongitudin'a'lly of the'c'age 29 and continuingdirectlythrough the chamber 30.l A multiple pistonmember 41 is reciprocably mounted within the bore 40v and Vwhen movedalong this bore will alternately establish communication between thechamber 30 and the two ports 31 and 32. At'the same timethis pistonmember will alternately and Y oppositely establish communication betweenthe outlet pipes 38'and 39 l'and the Vexhaust passages 42 and43respectively.' Y

' The pipesr38'and 39 which are connected to theopposite ends of thecylinder and to the heads 35 and 37, respectively, vand com- Vmunifcatewith piston bores 44, one of which is formed in each of thecylinderlheads and both ,of which are `in longitudinal alinement.

These bores areintended to receive tappet lvalve members 46, which areformed with inwardly extendingtappet rods adapted to be struck by thepiston member'20 as it nears ythe opposite-ends of its stroke. f'lhebore44 is also'provided' with inlet pipes 47 Vand 47,

1,355,0 eaY which communicate with the supply pipe 28 at the'point abovethe cage $29 thus it will be seen that the tappetfvalve structures inthefheadsgoff the cylinders are at all times supplied with air, that iswhen the valve 25 isglocated to establish `communication between thepipe 23 andthe pipe 28.

In order that' the piston 20 may be counter-balanced and held in itscentral position under normal conditionsY the pipe 2'( is Ypro-V videdwith two auxiliary supp-ly pipes .50

.and 51. These pipes lead to theopposite cylinder heads and communicatewith the passages 34, one` of which is formed in each of the heads.Through these vpassages the cylinder will have uninterruptedcommunication with the supply pipe 23 Vwhen vthe valve 25 is intheposition shown, inlig. 3. This position,` it will be understood isthenormal'inoperative position on the soaring device. v

The air passing through the'pipes 50 and 51, aswell as the air deliveredto the cylinders through the main'supply 33 and 36 willV pass outVthrough the exhaust ducts 52. These' ducts communicate with thepassageways 42 and 43 in the cage, and are-alternately closed by meansofthe 'piston'member'32 slida-ble within the cage, as previously stated.

In operation of the present invention, 1tV

will be understoodV thatthe soaring device is mounted in the center ofthe machine as clearly shown in Figs. .1 and 2 of the draw-t ing, andthat the orcinary motive power of the aircraft will beused to attain analtitudelwhich will be more freel from varying all.' Currents.' I Y 1When Citrine' flieht it'e desired `teettan Vgreater altitude, the lever55 is operated and movedV in the direction of the arrow -'a-, This willcause the transverse passageway 56 of the valve Yto registerwith thepipes 23 and 28 and will permit a free Vlow of air Vfrom the tank 21 tothe' compartment 30.

When the valves Vare in the position shown in Fig. 3, the air will'passthrough the pipe 36 to the cylinder head 37 land Ywill act within theCylinder against 4the pieten member 2O to move it in the direction ofthe arrow --f. As the piston reaches the end ofits stroke, it willencounter the 'tappet rod 46 and will move the tappet valve4`5'outwardly so that the cylindrical view around this member willpermit communication'between the inlet pipel 50 and the outlet'pipe 38.Air will then pass through the pipe 38 to the end of the piston valvemember'32 and will move .itin the direction of the arrow f2-f ThisA willreverse the communication of the chamber 3Q from the pipe 36 tothe pipe33. When thisjaction 'takes'place air Vwill be del livered to thecylinder and against the piston Vwhich isnow outstanding at one end ofthe cylinden` When the airis thus delivered iou the piston will beforced to the opposite end of the cylinder and as long as the valve 25is in the position with its passageway 56 producing communicationbetween the pipes 23 and 28 the piston will violently reciprocate fromone end to the other of the cylinder. This rapid displacement of weightis intended to cause a corresponding change or shiftingof the center` ofgravity of the machine in a manner identical to that employed by soaringbirds and will allow the operator to take advantage of the increasedspeed attained to change his horizontal line of flight to a pronouncedzoom or a series of short climbing turns thereby increasing hisaltitude. `When the operation is tov be continued the valve 25 is movedto the position shown in F ig. 3 and at this time air will pass from thepipe 23 to the two pipes 50 and 51, and will thereby force the piston 20to its central position, where it will be held by the constant equalpressure of the air against its opposite ends.

It' will vthus be seen that the device here disclosed will act torapidly transfer the center of gravity of the machine as desired withthe results previously explained, the action being simple and direct.

It will be understood that the device here disclosed is merely shown byway of example and that it will be within the spirit of the presentinvention to use any.other structure Y parting from the spirit of theinvention asV shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent,l is :y

l. A soaring device for aircraft comprising controllable means foralternately and intermittently displacing the 'center of gravity of theaircraft to either side of its longitudinal center.

2. A method of producing a soaring action in air craft to assist theascension thereof which consists in alternately changing the center ofgravity of the machine from one side to the other.

3. A soaring device for aircraft comprising a cylinder extending inparallel relation to the wings of an aircraft machine and carrying aweighted piston and controllable means for causing the piston toreciprocate rom one end to the other of said cylinder and to thustransfer the center of gravity of the machine. l

4. The combination in an aeroplane fuselage and planes, of a cylinderdisposed transversely of the center of gravity, a weighted pistonmovable in the cylinder, a compressed air tank, a valve chamber and avalve movable therein, pipes from saidl chamber to the cylinder ends,and means admitting air from the tank, and means controlling itsadmission to the valve chambers and to either end. of the cylinder.

5. The combination with an aeroplane fuselage and planes, of atransversely disposed cylinder at the center of gravity, a

weighted piston movable within the cylinder, a compressed air'tank,pipes leading therefrom toward the center of the cylinder, a valve insaid pipe and a controlling lever therefor, a valve chamber withslidable valves interposed between the admission valve and the cylinder,and pipes leading from said valve chamber to the ends of the cylinder,to impel the'piston in'either direction.

6. The combination with 'an .aeroplane fuselage of a transverselydisposed cylinder having a heavy piston movable across the center ofgravity of the apparatus, a compressed air tank and valves andconnections to admit and control the flow of air to and from thecylinder, spring primed tappet rods extending into the cylinder ends andpiston valves movable with the tappets, and pipes connecting said valvecages with the cylinder' ends and with an exhaust.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

THOMAS D. CARNEAL.

